


Asking Nicely

by rain_sleet_snow



Series: Odd One Out [3]
Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Gen, Homophobic Language, Sexist Language, Sexual Harassment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-09
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-06 21:57:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3149702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rain_sleet_snow/pseuds/rain_sleet_snow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Boys are all incomprehensible - some in nicer ways than others - but Kelly finds Neil stranger than most.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Asking Nicely

Kelly will never understand boys as long as she lives. There’s the small matter of their attempts to make their life a misery, of course; nobody at boarding school should need a key, a bolt, and a padlock just to secure their room. And there’s John Stone, who’s been calling her a slut and a dyke, but also, lately, touching her up in lessons. Not to mention Ciaran, who blushes every time he looks at her these days.

All these things are just boys; she’s used to them, even if she doesn’t know what she’ll do if John keeps on touching her. This is different.

“Why don’t you just tell her you fancy her?” she demands of Neil. “Instead of following her around Corus?”

“I don’t even know what her name is,” he wails, glancing at the group of girls from Palace College - at one particular girl with long black hair and eyes like moonstones. They’re down in the town: it’s a weekend, so they’re allowed out.

“Is that all?” she says, and walks up the street toward the group of girls.

“Excuse me,” she says politely to Neil’s crush. “What’s your name?”

“Um. Olwen,” the girl says, a little puzzled crease between her eyes. 

“Thanks,” Kelly says. “I’m Kelly. Nice to meet you.”

She runs back to Neil, waves to Olwen and announces to Neil, “Her name’s Olwen.”

She waits for the wrinkle of Neil’s nose, the ‘that lumpen name on such a lovely flower?’, but it never comes.


End file.
